Dispensing apparatus



June 18, 1968 R. H. M KAY 3,

DISPENSING APPARATUS v Filed Oct. 24, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jwvcmozROBERT H. Mac Km 1 JEFFERsWouNe ATTORNEVS United States Patent ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE A platform is supported by a cylindrical hearing whichsurrounds a fixed vertical post at each of four corners so that theplatform can move vertically but cannot tilt or cant. A spring surroundseach post and urges the plat form upward.

This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing materials such asfood trays, or the like, and particularly to a new and improvedcombination of elevator and support platform for maintaining a stack ofobjects or articles with the uppermost one at a substantially constantlevel.

When trays or other articles are stored within a compartment it isdesirable to provide means for constant raising of the stack of articlesso that the uppermost one can be conveniently removed. Otherwise itbecomes inconvenient to reach down into the storage compartment, orother storage means, for removing the uppermost article, whether it be afood tray or other article.

Those skilled in the art have proposed elevator means for constantlyurging the support platform, on which a stack of articles is rested, inan upward direction so that as the articles are removed and the weightof the stack diminishes, the elevator means can raise the stacksuccessively higher with the net result being that the uppermost articleremains substantially at the same height and is always Within convenientgrasp.

One of the major shortcomings of the elevator means is that should thesupport platform be unevenly loaded from side to side there tends tooccur a binding between the elevator and one of its support surfacesbecause of the tendency of the platform to tilt or tip under the unevenloading condition. Also, the art has experienced considerable difiicultyin devising an elevator means which will be effective in raising theplatform in even horizontal attitude under loads of trays whether theyare evenly or unevenly stacked, and regardless of the total weight ofthe stack of trays or other articles.

It is one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide anovel elevator means which includes a support platform which has bearingsurfaces of substantial length, and which insures that the supportplatform portion of the elevator will assume a horizontal position andwill remain in such position at all times during its raising andlowering movements. In this way a stack of articles is raised or loweredin a true vertical direction and without causing such articles to scrapeor move against the sidewalls of the compartment within which they arestored in lowered position.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a simple andinexpensive bearing means which insures that the elevator will moveevenly and the support platform will not be tilted from its horizontalposition and develop objectionable binding at any of its points ofcontact with the spaced guide means, regardless of th distribution ofloadin on the platform. Consequently, the need for equalizing deviceswhich will cause the support platform to move squarely in its verticalmovements, regardless of the weight distribution thereon, can beeliminated entirely.

Briefly, these and other objects are achieved in ac- Patented June 18,1968 cordance with the invention by guidance means which are disposed atthe corners of the support platform and which provide substantialguidance surfaces which effectively prevent cocking or tilting of theplatform as it moves under the weight of an unevenly or evenlydistributed load, vertically upwardly or downwardly within a storagecompartment. The guidance means includes a sleeve and a bearing cagewith a number of spaced closed loop races having bearing elementsmovable therein to provide antifriction contact at a number of spacedsurfaces between the guide surfaces on coacting vertical members withinthe storage compartment, and the support platform. In this manner costlyand annoying adjustments which are required in weight-equalizing devicescan be entirely and completely eliminated and in its place there isprovided a simple and economically constructed device.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom a consideration of the following description which proceeds withreference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a transportable cart having storagecompartments therein including .two spaced elevator means on whicharticles are received and stored within the compartments;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the elevator shown removed from thecompartments in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of the elevator showing the guidance meansin longitudinal section view, the upper part of the compartment beingshown broken away to better illustrate the bearing construction; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detail view of the bearings which are providedbetween the coacting guidance surfaces on the platform and verticalguide means.

Referring now to the drawings, there is iilustrated a transport cart 10having support wheels 1 by which the cart can be readily transportedfrom one location to the other. Within the cart 10 is a compartment 11having heat insulating walls 14 and a base to maintain the compartment11 in either refrigerated or heated condition as desired. An opening 15provides access to the compartmeat 11. The opening 15 is surrounded by aborder 16 of suitable composition material and a counter section 18 onwhich articles can be rested.

Within the compartment 11 is a pair of spaced elevators 2i and 22, bothof which are identically constructed and only one of which will beexplained in detail, it being understood that the explanation applies toboth. The elevator 20 includes a weight supporting platform 23 having adepending flange 24 along each of its sides. To the flange 24 there issecured at the four corners of the platform 23 a cylindrical bearing 26having a plurality of cages 28. Four cages are preferred. The cages 28are held within the bearing 26 by end plates 39 and 32. Eacn of thecages 28 has a loop-shaped raceway 32 including an open section 36 and aclosed section 37. A plurality of balls 38 are positioned in the raceway34 tangent to each other so that they can rotate and move around theraceway 34. The balls 36 extend slightly beyond the open section 36 toprovide antifriction roller bearing contact between the bearing 26 andan upright post 4-3. Because of there being a substantial length to theopen section 36 of the race way 34, and also because there are aplurality of raceways 34 within the same bearing 26, there is amplesupport for insuring that the cylindrical bearing 25 can only movelongitudinally along the post 40. The post 49 is received within asocket 42 of a bushing 44 having a base flange 46 secured to the bottom48 in the compartment 11. As indicated in FIGURE 2, there are four suchposts 40, one at each of the corners at the support platform 23, inorder to adequately define the planar position for the platform 23 whichis disposed horizontally and retains its horizontal position during thevertical movements within the compartment. Thus, as articles are stackedonto the platform 23 and the platform moves downwardly, the platform 23remains in a horizontal plane because there is a substantial extent ofbearing length between each bearing 26 at the four corners of theplatform 23 and their respective posts 40. Downward movement of theplatform 23 is resisted by a plurality of helical springs 60, therebeing one for each guide post 40. Each spring 60 surrounds itsrespective guide post 40, and bears at one end against the upper portion62 of the bushing 44 and acts at the other end through a bearing washer64 (FIGURE 3) against the bottom of the bearing 26. The strength of eachof the springs 60 can be selected so that they will adequately support astack of articles on the platform 23 which lowers under such weight intothe compartment 11 and against the resistance of the springs. As thearticles are removed, one by one and the Weight is relieved, the springs60 raise the platform 23 and its supported load by increments. Thestrength and and characteristic of the springs 60 is such that uponremoval of each tray or other article, the springs 60 will efiect araising of the supported load by an amount equal to the vertical heightof the removed article. Consequently, the uppermost article of the stackalways remains at the same height. This is an important considerationbecause in dispensing foods, trays and numerous other articles, it isimportant and desirable that articles are available for dispensing, thatsuch articles remain in view, and that such articles can be convenientlyreached for removal.

In the present invention, as the articles are removed, they are alwayspositioned so that the uppermost one of the articles remains at the sameheight. Should the stack of articles be unevenly positioned on theplatform so that there is a greater load at one or the other of thecorners of the platform, this uneven loading will not produce excessivebinding at any of the corners to interfere with the proper functioningof the elevator means because of the bearings 26. Also, because of theconsiderable bearing length which is provided between each post 40 andits respective bearing 26, there is prevented any cooking or tilting ofthe platform 23. Referring, for example, to FIGURES 3 and 4 it should beseen that the bearing 26 at each corner of the platform 23 providesconsiderable support because of the relatively long length provided bythe open section 36 of the raceway 34. A fairly large number of balls 38protrude through the open section 36. The accumulative support of theseplurality of small balls 38 defines the position of the bearing 26 onthe post 40 and prevents the bearing 26 from tilting or tipping withrespect to the post 40, notwithstanding a considerable force tending totwist the bearing 26 with respect to the post 40. Consequently, at eachof the four corners of the platform 23 there is a bearing 26. Eachbearing 26 has a plurality of raceways 34 (preferably four) within theinternal surface of the bearing 26-, so that regardless of the degree ofuneven loading and regardless of which corner the uneven loading occursat, the platform 23 is always prevented from tilting and is constrainedto a true vertical movement either upwardly or downwardly. Consequentlythe articles, such as trays or the like, are prevented from contactingthe interior surface of the compartment 11. This arrangement of uniquebearing-and-guide surfaces completely obviates any necessity forequalizing devices such as were previously considered essential. Suchequalizing devices were costly and both to manufacture, to maintain, andparticularly were objectionable because of the complications which theywould lend to cleaning the interior surfaces. In the food dispensingart, cleanliness is essential, and any complicated internal structureswhich interfere with this cleanliness are highly objectionable. In thepresent invention, however, the novel bearing arrangement does notinterfere with cleaning and servicing arrangements. In fact, theassembly and disassembly of the structure is an important feature of thepresent invention. The post 40 can be readily installed bypreassemblying the bearing 26 onto the post 40. The post 40 is coupledby its end 65 to the border 16 through an adaptor 63 which is atttachedby a bolt 67 which passes through an opening 66 of the border 16 andwhich is secured thereto by a nut 71 or the like. The opposite end 68 ofthe post 46 passes through the socket 42 and bears against a spring 70contained within the socket of the bushing 44 (FIGURE 3).

The process of assembly and disassembly is greatly simplified. All thatis required to clean the interior of the compartment 11 is to push theplatform 23 downwardly and then manually press the guide post 49 downinto the socket 42 against the resistance of spring 70 until the upperend 65 of the guide rod clears the adapter 63. Then, the guide rod 40can be pulled toward the center of the compartment 11 and pulled out ofthe socket 42, thus permitting withdrawal of the guide rod spring 60,and other elements of the elevator. This accessibility for cleaning addsconsiderably to the hygienic standards which can be maintained for thisequipment. Because there are no interfering surfaces which preventaccess to all of the interior of the compartment, the cleaningoperations can be most efficient.

When it is then time to reinstall the elevator, the elevator is simplyreinserted into the compartment with the ends of the guide posts 48refitted into the sockets 42 of the bushings 44.

in operation, the articles are first loaded onto the support platform 23and under the weight of these articles the platform lowers against theresistance of the springs 60. As the load is removed, the springs raisethe elevator and the supported load in such manner that the uppermostarticle always remains at the same level.

Whether the supported load is evenly or unevenly distributed, it willnot interfere with normal operation of the elevator and no equalizingdevices are required. Consequently, the apparatus is economical toservice, to manufacture and is reliable in its intended function at alltimes. Also, as mentioned previously, it is cleanable throughout and canbe installed and reinstalled without difliculty.

Although the present invention has been illustrated and described inconnection with a single example embodiment, it will be understood thatthis is illustrative of the invention and is by no means restrictivethereof. It is reasonably to be expected that those skilled in this artcan make numerous revisions and adaptations of the invention, and it isintended that such revisions and adaptations will be included within thescope of the following claims as equivalents of the invention.

I claim:

1. An article dispensing device, comprising:

(a) a base;

(b) a post receiving socket mounted on said base at each of fourgenerally rectangularly positioned corners;

(c) a cylindrical post removably mounted in a respective one of each ofsaid sockets and extending vertically upward therefrom;

(d) a supporting spring positioned around :1 respective one of each ofsaid posts, the lower end of each of said springs resting on itsrespective socket and the upper end of each of said springs beingpositioned at a respective predetermined location;

(e) a cylindrical bearing positioned around a respective one of each ofsaid posts and resting on said upper end of its respective supportspring, each of said cylindrical bearings having a plurality of looptypeball bearing raceways having an open section that extends in a verticaldirection and a plurality of balls that engage their respective poststhrough said open section;

(f) a fixed support positioned at the top of a respec- 5 5 tive one ofeach of said posts for supporting said References Cited posts; m (g) anda platform attached to said cylindrical bear- UNITED SIATES PATENTS ingsand supported thereby. 2,468,115 4/ 1949 Saul 22093 2. The dispensingdevice of claim 1, and further com- 5 2,806,607 9/1957 Korngold 108-l36prising a spring positioned in a respective one of each of 2,973,6293/1961 Lady. said sockets below the lower ends of said posts to per-3,112,033 11/ 1963 Weissert 21149 rnit said posts to be pushed downwardfrom said fixed supports and removed. CHANCELLOR E. -lARRlS, PrimaryExaminer.

